The Executive Director, HEI, Paschal Achunine, made this known in a statement made available to our correspondent on Thursday.
Achunine said over 30 secondary schools across the six districts in Lagos State benefited from the programme.
“There is growing anxiety about the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack, cardiac arrest, and the attendant fatalities among Nigerians in recent years.
“Similarly, the menace of Road Traffic Accidents and other traumatic injuries is mind-boggling. As a matter of fact, the World Health Organisation reported recently that RTA is the biggest killer of young people, especially in Nigeria.
“Driven by the desire to make a difference and as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility, Seplat Energy Plc, an independent oil/energy company recently partnered with Health Emergency Initiative to build the capacity of secondary school students on CPR and First Aid skills necessary to handle pre-hospital emergencies. Over 30 secondary schools across the six districts in Lagos benefited from the programme,” the statement read in part.
Speaking during the flag-off of the programme, the Director, External Affairs and Sustainability, Seplat Energy Plc, Dr Chioma Nwachukwu, noted that the organisation is intentional about empowering the youths and touching the lives of its hosts’ communities.
She said, “CPR and First Aid skills are needed by all and very critical to save lives during prehospital emergencies”.
She also urged other corporate organisations and individuals to adopt this laudable CSR initiative by sponsoring more students, pointing out that HEI has a proven track record in transparency, accountability and project implementation.
She assured of increased collaboration with HEI to expand the footprint of its lifesaving initiatives.
Also speaking, the representative of Commissioner for Education, Lagos State, Ashaola Femi, applauded Seplat Energy Plc for the investment in young talents, recognising that the scheme is capable of creating systemic change from the current negative culture of taking pictures and videos at the scene of emergencies instead of assisting the victims.
He noted that it was the objective that informed the approval of this programme by the Ministry of Education for HEI to train all senior secondary school students in Lagos earlier in the year.
On his part, Achunine, expressed profound gratitude to Seplat Energy Plc for the huge support, especially its commitment to the sustainability of its operating environment.
He added that First Responders Clubs would be set up in line with the ‘Train the Trainer’ model of the scheme and activities such as essay competitions, quizzes and debates would be instituted in the schools to foster a lifesaving culture in the state.
